Dr. Jay Ding, Miracle Worker

Nicole Jeffords (2022)

This is a drawing of my friend, Dr. Jay Ding, chiropractor. But he’s not a regular chiropractor, the kind that spends twenty minutes on you, making adjustments, and tells you to come back one, two, maybe three times the following week; no, Dr. Ding will have you on his table as long as is necessary to fix you, which could mean a good two hours or more. The first time I went to him, I had impingement in my hip which caused a slight limp when I walked. I was on his table for over two hours, and when I wanted to pay him, he said, “No, we’re not finished, you can pay up next time.” Next time? I was leaving for a trip to Russia two days later, but Ding said he still wanted to put needles in me (he does that too, along with adjustments).

Walking around Moscow, I was surprised to find I was no longer in pain. I thought, Wow, this is a good city for me, too bad I can’t live here, and then I realized that my new pain-free condition had to do with Ding, the miracle worker, and not the walkability of Moscow. Now I make sure to see Dr. Ding every few months because I have an older arthritic body that needs regular attention if I want to continue drawing, dancing, standing in front of an easel. The good thing is he’s a sweet guy who’s incredibly funny and keeps you entertained the whole time you’re on his table. I cannot tell you how glad I am to have him in my life.